Olympic divers say the mysteriously green pool water had a surprising benefit

Rio officials admitted to not knowing what caused the colour change, but it mattered little in the end as the women’s synchronised 10-meter diving final went on.

And while, aesthetically, the green, slimey water may not have looked appealing to jump head-first into, Canada’s Meaghan Benfeito, who took home bronze, said it actually helped.

“It’s not the same colour as the sky so that was really on our side today,” Benfeito said afterward.

China’s Liu Huixia, who won the gold medal, shared a similar sentiment, saying, “When we were practicing to get used to this venue (the water) was always sky blue… But we’re always mentally prepared for unexpected situations.”

The difference was jarring. Here’s the diving pool next to its bluer neighbour, the water polo pool.